Vent Fields

Welcome to the InterRidge Global Database of Active Submarine Hydrothermal Vent Fields (the “InterRidge Vents Database”).
To sort the list of Vent Fields, click on a column header.
To view details for a specific Vent Field, click on the Name ID.
To view the subset of Vent Fields that contain a specific category, click on the category (for example, "active, confirmed" in the "Activity" column).

Vent Field Name ID Activity Tectonic Settingsort descending Region Latitude Longitude Maximum or Single Reported Depth Year and How Discovered
Whale Island active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Taupo Volcanic Zone -37.8600 176.9800 42 1990 or earlier, likely by SCUBA
Calypso Vents active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Taupo Volcanic Zone -37.6800 177.1170 200 1989 submersible Soucoup
Lobster active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.3330 -176.2830 1500 2008 plume and dredge only
Franklin Seamount active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Woodlark Basin -9.9083 151.8300 2366 1990 submersible Mir
Mariana Trough, 15.5 N active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 15.4080 144.5090 4196 2015 plume only, 2016 ROV did not confirm
SuSu Knolls active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.8000 152.1000 1520 1996 towed camera/video; 1993 plume only
Starfish Seamount, Tinakula active, confirmed back-arc spreading center New Hebrides back-arc -12.2028 167.6139 1204 2011 commercial ROV; 1989 plume only; 1989 towed camera survey did not confirm activity; 2002 plume and dredge only
Tarama Knoll active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 25.0916 124.5416 1990 2009 ROV HyperDolphin
Kueishan Island, offshore active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 24.8333 122.0000 1200 2008 or earlier
Mariner active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -22.1800 -176.6017 1910 2003 plume and camera tow; 2004 submersible Shinkai 6500
Okinawa Trough, Site ES2 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 28.8137 128.1028 779 1992 dredge only
NWLSC, Southern Caldera active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -15.9000 -177.4166 2160 2008 plume only
Three Sisters, Middle Sister active, inferred back-arc spreading center Bransfield Strait -62.6420 -58.9833 1040 1995 plume only; 1999 still had no visual confirmation
N-ELSC, plume 25 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -19.8900 -176.0640 2680 2004 plume only
Alice Springs Field active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 18.2103 144.7073 3640 1987 submersible Alvin; 1982 plume only
Philippine Ridge, West Philippine Basin inactive back-arc spreading center West Philippine Basin 12.0000 131.4170 5800 NotProvided
Sonne 99 active, confirmed back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -16.9500 173.9167 1980 1995 deep tow video and TV-grab
C-ELSC, plume 17 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.9900 -176.2530 2270 2004 plume only
White Church active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -21.9612 -176.5234 1960 1989 submersible Nautile; 2004 plume survey
FRSC, Central active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -16.4917 -174.5417 2419 2004 plume only
DESMOS Cauldron active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Manus Basin -3.6958 151.8717 2000 1990 deep-sea monitoring system (DESMOS) video and still cameras
Mariana Trough, 16.5 N active, inferred back-arc spreading center Mariana Trough 16.4010 144.8700 3829 2015 plume only
Station 58, N160 Axis active, inferred back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -16.3167 173.5500 3900 1985 plume only; 1991 temperature anomalies but submersible Shinkai 6500 did not confirm activity
Bayonnaise Knoll caldera active, inferred back-arc spreading center Izu-Bonin back-arc 31.9667 139.7333 900 2003 temperature anomalies, but camera survey observed inactive vent deposits
N-ELSC, plume 26 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -19.8200 -176.0420 2600 2004 plume only
Higa active, confirmed back-arc spreading center Okinawa Trough 26.5550 126.2233 1485 2015 ROV Kaiko
C-ELSC, plume 18 active, inferred back-arc spreading center Lau Basin -20.9500 -176.2390 2230 2004 plume only
White Lady active, confirmed back-arc spreading center North Fiji Basin -16.9833 173.9167 2000 1988 towed camera and plume; 1989 submersible Nautile
Espalamaca active, confirmed intra-plate volcano 38.5500 -28.6000 50 2010 or earlier likely SCUBA
Hawaiian Ridge inactive intra-plate volcano Central Pacific 15.0000 -157.5000 5000 1987 or earlier

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To display the full list of Vent Fields, and for export to a CSV file, please click HERE.

The InterRidge Vents Database is hosted by InterRidge at the Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), France.
This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License
For more information, contact Stace Beaulieu, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA

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